Golf tee



Dec. 10, 1957 R. L. WEST I 2,815,953

GOLF TEE Filed Oct. 31. 1955 INVENTORQ ROBERT WEST BY 26 Z: Y ATTORNEYited States This invention relates to golf tees and more particularly toa golf tee which insures a straight line of flight for the driven golfball.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a golf tee whichinsures a straight line of flight for the driven golf ball.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a golf tee whichalso furnishes a directional sight for the intended direction of thegolf club head.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in part andin part be pointed out in the following specification and claims.

In the past many artificial tees have been used by golfers to aid inacquiring a high percentage of satisfactory shots. The satisfactionresided in hitting the ball straight a desired distance.

The present invention insures the straight trajectory of the ball. Thedesired distance is left to the skill of the golfer.

Referring to the drawings in which similar characters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the figures:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the new and improved golf tee.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the new golf tee.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken along the center lineindicated as 3-3 in Figure 1 with the tail eliminated.

Figure 4 is a rear elevational view of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a plan view showing the position of the hinge after a golfball has been driven oif the new golf tee.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified form oftail construction.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of Figure 6.

Referring to the drawings wherein reference character 10 generallyindicates the new and improved golf tee comprising a body 11 having oneend bent into a tail 12 and the opposite end bent into hinge eyes 13 and14 with a golf ball holding stand 15 formed between them. A groove 16may be made along the transverse center line of body 11 to provide asighting line from the tail 12 to the golf ball holding stand 15.

A gate generally indicated by reference character 21 and consisting of awire pintle having a base 22 with upturned opposite sides 23, 24 formedinto reversed bent legs 25, 26 respectively, is pivotally mounted inhinge eyes 13 and 14.

An elastic band 30 is formed into a continuous loop, with the oppositeends of the loop engaging opposite sides 23, 24 of gate 21.

The nub of the present invention is the positioning in envelope form ofan impact member fabricated of a nonstretching material such as leatheror polyethylene over the elastic band 30. The impact member 31 ispreferably slidably mounted along elastic band 30.

In operation tail 12 will be inserted into the turf of a golf coursewith the bottom of hinges 13, 14 touching the ground. A golf ball willbe placed on golf ball holding atent 2,815,953 atent ec stand 15 withimpact member 31 just touching the periphery of the golf ball. Thegolfer will take his stance over golf tee ltl'using groove 16' as adirectional sight. The golfer will swing his club to strike the golfball but impact member 31 will receive the blow. Because impact member31 is fabricated from a non-elastic material it will absorb any slidingor cross action the face of the golf club imparts at the instant ofimpact to impact member 31. Impact member 31 will only transfer or carrythrough the forward motion of the face of the golf club by causingelastic band 30 to stretch and thereby allow impact member 31 totransfer the blow of the golf club to the golf ball.

Impact member 31 interposed as it is between the club head and golf balldoes not appreciably absorb the power of the blow of the golf club headimpact on the golf ball. It merely prevents the slicing or pullingaction of the golf club face from effecting that action on the golf ballso that all shots are straight because only the forward action of thegolf club is effective to the golf ball.

The golf club head will cause the gate 21 to pivot in hinges 13, 14 andlay parallel with body 11 as the golf ball is driven off ball holdingstand 15.

A modified form of tail 12A is shown in Figures 6 and 7 wherein the endof body 11 is formed into a hinge eye 30. Tail 12A is formed with hingeeyes 31, 32 and a pin 33 locks hinge eyes 30, 31, 32 into a hinge. Thispermits the tail to be folded under body 11 when the golf tee 10 iscarried in the pocket between uses. The folded tail also takes lessspace when shipped from manufacturer to consumer.

Having shown and described preferred embodiments of the presentinvention, by way of example, it should be realized that structuralchanges could be made and other examples given without departing fromeither the spirit or scope of this invention.

What I claim is:

1. A golf tee comprising a body having means to be secured to the turfand having one end formed into hinge eyes, and means for holding a golfball, a gate consisting of a pintle pivotally mounted in said hingeeyes, said means for holding the golf ball being positioned between saidgate and the nearest end of said body, a resilient member, meanssecuring said resilient member to said pintle, an impact member, meanspositioning said impact member on said resilient member adjacent saidmeans for holding a golf ball whereby the impact of the golf club willbe received by the impact member and transferred to the resilientmember.

2. A golf tee comprising a body having one end formed into a tail andthe opposite end formed into hinge eyes and a golf ball holding stand, agate consisting of a pintle having a base with upturned opposite sidesformed into reversed bent legs, said base being pivotally mounted insaid hinge eyes, said golf ball stand being located between said gateand upon the nearest end of said body, a resilient member secured onopposite ends to said upturned opposite sides, an impact memberpositioned on said resilient member so that the swinging golf club willstrike the impact member which through the resiliency of said resilientmember will transfer the forward striking power of the swinging golfclub to the golf ball positioned on the golf ball holding stand.

3. A golf tee comprising a body having hinge eyes formed in oppositeends and a groove formed in said body between said opposite ends, meansfor holding a golf ball provided in one end of said body, a gateconsisting of a pintle having a base with upturned opposite sides, saidbase being pivotally mounted in the hinge eyes adjacent the means forholding a golf ball, a resilient member secured to said upturnedopposite sides, an impact member slidably mounted on said resilientmember and a tail having means pivotally oonnected to the hinge eyesformed in said body farthest from the means to hold a golf ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS MooreFeb. 10, 1925

